Azerbaijan’s Ombudsperson urges global action after Kalbajar mine blast leaves soldiers injured
Landmines, which were massively planted across Azerbaijan and for which accurate maps have yet to be provided, continue to pose a serious daily threat to the lives and health of innocent people, Ombudsperson said in a statement following the mine incident that occurred on August 5 in Kalbajar district, where five Azerbaijani Army servicemen sustained injuries of varying severity.
“The planted mines also hinder the return of former internally displaced persons to their native lands, obstruct reconstruction and restoration works carried out in these territories, and cause significant environmental damage, disrupting the ecological balance in the region. Despite our repeated appeals to international organizations for the provision of accurate mine maps in the territories liberated from occupation, which were accepted, the Armenian side continues to evade sharing this information, in violation of international humanitarian law,” the statement reads.
The Ombudsperson once again called on relevant international organizations to exert serious pressure on Armenia to hand over accurate mine maps to Azerbaijan and to take a firm stance against the committed war and environmental crimes, including violations of humanitarian law.
